Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan suffers injury scare ahead of Crucible world title defence and pulls out of WST Classic
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has suffered an injury scare ahead of his Crucible world title defence.
It was announced on Sunday morning that the Rocket had withdrawn from the inaugural WST Classic in Leicester for medical reasons.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of the WST Classic in LeicesterGetty
The world No.1 was due to meet Englishman David Grace at 6pm on Sunday evening in the second round until pulling out with an elbow injury.
O’Sullivan, 47, will not qualify now for the eight-man Tour Championship in Hull, which starts next Monday.
And it means, provided he is fully fit from this physical setback, his next appearance on the baize will be on Saturday April 15 on the opening day of the World Snooker Championship.
O’Sullivan beat Judd Trump in the 2022 World final to win a seventh crown, which drew him level with Stephen Hendry’s mark set in 1999.
The Essex potter tweeted: “Really disappointed but have had to pull out because of an elbow injury and hope to be back ASAP.”
O’Sullivan was out and about on Saturday night without his snooker cue as he watched the UFC at London’s O2 Arena alongside Hollywood stars Tom Holland and Jason Statham.
Meanwhile, Neil Robertson will miss the chance to chase a third straight Tour title after losing 4-3 to Oliver Lines in the last 64.
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The Australian – who won the event in 2021 and 2022 – needed to claim the first WST Classic trophy to remain in the hunt for qualification.
Yet he will have plenty of weeks at home now to concentrate solely on the Crucible following this shock defeat.
